This post was written by SVSLI intern Erica Demson. 

Immigration Rally

If you were in downtown Harrisonburg last Wednesday evening, chances are you heard the parade of people chanting, singing, and beating a drum. “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido,” is just one of the sayings that were chanted.  It translates to: “The people united will never be defeated.”  The group that gathered, consisting of family, friends, students and people of the community, came together to promote immigration reform.   Continue reading →

This post was submitted by Erica Demson, SVSLI intern.                
   

An excitement surrounding new immigration policies is growing as Americans perceive Congress making progress towards revamping our current immigration laws. This excitement is warranted considering there are now over 11 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the nation. Lucky for lawmakers, the immigration reform of 1986 is there to serve as a guide for what not to do, as many of those laws did little to improve the situation for immigrants. Some critic’s even claim that immigration reform laws of 1986 actually worsened several issues it set to resolve.

 Karen Timulty’s article in the Washington Post (February 3, 2013) is useful for seeing the parallels between the reform of 1986 and the situation today. Both propose a legalization program for those who are illegal, motion to increase border control and dissuade employers from hiring people without proof of residency.

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